WWE NXT: Examining How Johnny Gargano Slowly Found The Darkness
Photo Source: WWE.com
Johnny Failure Finally Wins
Since being revealed as Black’s attacker and once again losing another TakeOver match, Gargano would kickstart his brand new game plan. Since then, we’ve seen him win matches by nefarious means. Whether it means briefly teasing a DIY reunion to beat Black inside of a steel cage, or dropping Ricochet with a Brainbuster on the exposed concrete floor to win the North American Championship. The “New” Johnny Gargano has completed his transformation into the darkness and in a strange way, he owes it all to Tommaso Ciampa.
In his feud with Ricochet especially, that desperation within Gargano seemed to reach its zenith. Not only was he trying to prove that he could actually win matches rather than just steal the show at TakeOver by winning the North American Championship in Phoenix, but he wanted to prove he could live a career that was dependent from that of Tommaso Ciampa. After all that those two have been through, that wasn’t going to happen.
Fast forward to the TakeOver matches where Gargano realizes that Johnny Wrestling just can’t get the job done. But perhaps, Johnny Badass – a much darker Johnny Gargano akin to Ciampa – can do just that. Pulling a page right out of Ciampa’s book, Gargano removes the floor covering to expose the concrete. He considers a draping DDT on the ground onto Ricochet, but reconsiders. Either because he can’t bring himself to stoop down to Ciampa’s level or because he sees himself turning into the very thing he despises.
Either way, this was our first hint that after all the blindsiding and sneak attacks, there is still a small hint of the old Johnny Gargano hidden inside of him.
Unfortunately, after nearly losing the match following his reconsideration, Gargano goes all out and decides its time to finally get the job done with a Brainbuster on the concrete. This may have been the final nail in the coffin for the old Johnny Gargano. The New Johnny Gargano is here to stay.
“I win,” Gargano uttered before nailing Ricochet with a DDT for the win.
For the first time in a long time, Johnny had his TakeOver Moment.